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Abandoned Abyss
"''The Abyss is a strange land, completely foreign to all those who dwell in the light. May all who venture there bring spare lamps''," -[[Dr. Jason van Hellsing]] Often referred to as the "''Underdark''" by [[Elves]], the massive subterranean network of tunnels, caverns, ravines, geothermal sources, and other underground geological formations obtained the name of Abandoned Abyss after its official discovery and documentation by the [[JPCU]] following the accidental breaching of the Realm by Russian diamond miners in the Arctic Circle (see [[Event #9474]]). Physical Description and Attributes: The Abandoned Abyss is a massive subterranean network and junction of tunnels and other structures, the overwhelming majority of which being located deeper than five (~5) miles under the Earth's surface. Approximately one percent (1%) of the Realm is located above that five (5) mile mark. There are a number of known and unchanging entrances to the Abandoned Abyss, although it is possible to learn and conduct rituals that will open a portal, or dig deep enough to hit one of the tunnels (although this often results in an Emergence Event). Upper Abyss: Although the [[JPCU]] and [[SCP Foundation]] have made many attempts at investigating and searching the Abyss, it is believed that less than two percent (2%) of the area has ever been explored. Any long-term maps of the area have been deemed mostly useless by modern sonic testing, as it is understood that the tunnels nearest the surface world change and shift in an ever-moving labyrinth to keep surface-dwellers from ever reaching the deeper, inhabited areas. The cause of these shifting tunnels is also an unknown variable, although there have been a number of proposed explanations ranging from massive worms or unknown subterranean creatures to magical geomancers, to simply a factor of the environment itself and a consequence of the Realm's significant magical force. The tunnels at this level are noted to range from five (5) to twenty-five (25) meters in diameter, and are made of the stone/earthen material that would normally be in that localized section of the surface. The upper levels of the Abandoned Abyss have distinct features that separate them from the others. Specifically, these upper levels are inhabited by no creatures more complex than odd glowing forms of fungi, bacteria, powerful and unknown viruses, and small insects. Some researchers claim that the presumed restrictions on lifeform habitation have to do with some form of unrecorded natural hierarchy, while others claim it is simply a result of the increase in magical influence as one descends deeper, while others yet argue for the increase in food sources and nutrients in the soil as one delves deeper. No natural sunlight reaches even to this point in the Realm, the only forms of light being glowing fungus or other forms of bioluminescent life. Magical sensors will detect a drastic increase in ambient energy, the levels only increasing as one continues downwards. Any living being that makes use of holy magic, or any magic related to light, healing, creation, and/or goodness will begin experiencing a sense of paranoia, claustrophobia, anxiety, and irritability, all of which increasing in intensity the longer the subject is exposed to the Realm's influence. These psychological dangers will worsen into hallucinations (visual, audial, etc.) as the duration of exposure reaches twenty four (24) hours. After forty-eight (48) hours of exposure to the Abandoned Abyss, innocent and holy people will experience a shift of personality, morality, and thought processing that results in them turning on allies, attempting to sabotage the mission at hand, attempting to trap themselves and others in the Abandoned Abyss, and other such treacherous acts; this stage is still reversible with enough separation from the Realm in question, although the subject now expresses an explicit desire to remain in the Abandoned Abyss and will fight to maintain their presence within it. Once exposure hits seventy-two (72) hours, the person will reach a point of despair and depression, apparently driven by a recorded conflict between the light and dark within their souls, that drives the subject to suicide or irreversible insanity that can only be healed via miracle or powerful healing magic/soul magic. Abyss: While the tunnel structure of the initial levels appears to change on a weekly basis, any tunnels deeper than five (5) miles under the earth have been significantly more consistent with original explorative records. These deeper tunnels range in depth from five (5) to fifteen (15) miles under the surface of the earth, and also house more complex lifeforms including more complex plant-life, worms, larger insects, magical subterranean animals, mutated and/or eldritch abominations, and smaller settlements of Dökkálfar, or Dark Elves. The only sources of light are settlements, bioluminescent creatures, magical entities, and glowing crystals. The physical tunnels of this section of the Abandoned Abyss range from five (5) to one hundred (100) meters in diameter, allowing for towns and villages of Dökkálfar to live and thrive. Temperatures can range from forty degrees Fahrenheit (40°F) to as low as twenty degrees Fahrenheit (20°F). Besides the noticeable differences in physical environment, these deeper areas of the Abandoned Abyss also provide far more ambient magical energy to the lifeforms that often feed off of it for their survival. The Hollows: